NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE NAMES TOOELE ARMY DEPOT IN UTAH
AS THE FIRST MILITARY FACILITY IN NATION TO BECOME STORMREADY

The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service (NWS)
today recognized the Tooele Army Depot as the nation’s first
StormReady military facility. During a presentation at the Salt Lake
City Weather Forecast Office, representatives from NWS commended the
Army Depot management and employees for their efforts to enhance hazardous
weather operations at the facility. The Army Depot joins more than
720 locations in 47 states to earn the StormReady designation. NOAA
is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The StormReady
program gives communities the skills and education needed to survive
severe weather before and during the event. StormReady helps community
leaders and emergency managers strengthen their local hazardous weather
operations by ensuring that they have the tools needed to receive
life saving NWS warnings in the quickest time possible.

Retired Air Force
Brig. Gen. David L.
Johnson, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service, made
the presentation to Lt. Col. Karol Ripley, Tooele Army Depot commander.

“Without
the StormReady program, many communities would not be prepared to
handle severe weather,” said Johnson. “Approximately 90
percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather related.
These weather-related disasters lead to nearly 500 deaths each year
and nearly $14 billion in damage. StormReady helps equip America's
communities with the communication and safety skills needed to save
lives and property before and during the event.”

To be recognized as StormReady, a community must:

Conduct
emergency exercises

Establish
a 24-hour emergency operations center

Have
more than one way to alert the public and disseminate severe weather
forecasts and warnings

“The StormReady
program is a great approach that helped us shore up and develop systems
and plans to handle local severe weather in any season, and strengthen
our cooperative ties with the National Weather Service,” said
Ripley. “We are excited to be recognized for our readiness capabilities
and proud to be associated with the NWS as StormReady partners, and
as the first StormReady facility in the Department of Defense.”

NOAA’s National
Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and
warnings for the United States and its territories. The NWS operates
the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in
the world, helping protect lives and property and enhance the national
economy.

NOAA is dedicated
to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction
and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental
stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.